Summary Document

Summary of PGC stage

As for PGC stage, my project is how might Chinese low-budget comedy film be funnier? Thus, I will research it through there parts. The first part is that the narrative structure. I need research it because making a film needs the narrative, and happy endings of comedy film also need a preceding narrative context (Steve and Frank, 1990). The second part is finding out amusing elements or comic modes, which can be used in comedy films so as to produce more comedy effects and make films funnier. Basically, they are like a formula. If we understand such formula, we will know how to make the comedy funnier. The third part is that I will find out low-budget comedy film’s advantages in order to explore its maximum value. This means if they want to promote its value in art and business field, they also involve their own characteristics and meanings.

The first part is narrative structure; I will talk about a special narrative structure in the comedy film, which is special motivation. Bordwell illustrates that in certain circumstances causal motivation can be abandoned for, or intermingled with, Coincidence, Luck, Fortune, Fate or the intervention of the Supernatural in the comedy film.

       

      

        Figure 1. The film applies supernatural to make funny. Image grab from <Lost on the joinery>, 2010

The second part is amusing elements; there are many comic modes we can apply in the comedy film to make it funnier. Firstly, we can find the comic principle from comedy definition and philosophy. The Concise Oxford Dictionary: comedy, n, stage-play of light, amusing and often satirical character, chiefly representing everyday life, with happy ending. From Aristotle on, comedy was for centuries the most appropriate genre for representing the lives, not of the ruling classes, of those with extensive power, but of the ‘middle’ and ‘ lower’ orders of society, those whose power was limited and local, and whose manners, behavior, and values were considered by their ‘ betters’ to be either trivial, or vulgar, or both. In summary, the consistent generation of laughter through the multiple uses of gags, funny lines, and funny situations, and, in these instances at least, the representation of lower-class characters and everyday life respectively. Thus, there are many Chinese low-budget comedy films that describe unimportant people’s daily life.

Figure 2. Image grab from < One night in supermarket>, 2006      Figure3.Image grab from <Two stupid eggs>, 2007

Another amusing elements should be considered, which are Parody and Satire. As Linda Hutcheon has argued, parody need not always be comic. However, when it is, and when it occurs within the context of a comedy, laughter is consistently produced.  Parody can be used for satirical purposes. Like<Crazy Store>, parody the <Mission Impossible> to make funny.

Satire works to mock and attack. It uses the norms within its province as a basis against which to measure deviations. Sometimes the deviations themselves are attacked, particularly if those who deviate are those who profess to adhere to these norms most strongly. Sometimes the norms are attacked—in the name of other, less prevalent, social values.

Other amusing elements we should be considered, which are Slapsticks, Jokes and Wisecracks, and Gags. As for Slapstick, it is a mode of comedy; a mode that can be found in forms as diverse as the sketch, the double-act, the short, and the feature film. The next is Jokes and Wisecracks; a remark is unintentionally funny, which result from stupidity, ignorance, or misunderstanding. Finally, as for gags, they each constitute digressions or interruptions in the progress of a plot or a piece of purposive narrative action. They hence each tend also to involve a degree of surprise.

The third part is finding out low-budget comedy film’s advantages in order to explore its maximum value. At the beginning, Low-budget comedy films that can able to make director more freely develop their talent and their own style, which can increase the characteristic of comedy film. Like <happy>, using music and localism. Like <one night in supermarket>, using gags.

The next is Material root in mass culture. Many materials are made according to the true story, which are very closed to daily life of common people. No big event, no big shot, just describing some unimportant person’s joys and sorrows or their aspiration for a better life. So audiences also can able to make the perception and observation of their own life from the film. In addition, these stories can expose some real social problems. Further more, unique “ugly” aesthetic characteristic. In realistic life, not just having “beautiful”, but also having “ugly”, in low-budget comedy film, “ugly” become a good function. Finally, Chinese low-budget comedy films show the rich feature of local culture. If the movie be made in occurred location, and use local dialect. It not only increases a sense of realistic, but also increases comic effects.

Summary of PGD stage

As for PGD stage, my project is how might apply funny elements into the Chinese low-budget comedy script? Thus, I test and explore these funny elements, making sure they can apply in the comedy film and make it funnier.

The first one is one of special motivation-Coincidence, from many films can be seen; their plots of script apply coincidence to make funnier. It seems that they generally site the plot about bad thing suddenly happen like power cut. Or one or some characters get trouble. Because making sure the plot is interesting and this element can develop the story line or the reversal of the plot. Meanwhile, it is a better way to show the personality of characters (Hu Jian Sheng). In addition, Time Stop is a new special motivation, which can apply in the Chinese low-budget comedy film.

Like <A Chinese Odyssey>, it repeated to apply the time stop, giving the story the same particular motivation and siting the different plots by repeating time stop.

The second important element is satire, it seems that it can be site one or some ridiculous characters whom self-knowledge are false. Or siting the irony in the script, which can expose or attack the negative things in real life. But it should be in a condition of happy ending. As for Chinese low-budget comedy film, satire can reflect the real life, even the negative social problem. Finally, as for gags, Coursodon discuss the feature of a gag. There is a fundamental difference between gags, on the one hand, calls ‘comic effects’. Like <Big Movie>, applying simple gags made funnier, the gags were applied by visual sense, physical action, and dialogue. On the other hand, sequence. The sequence contains three linked but separate stages: 1, laying out of its basic components; 2 development of the situation in a particular direction; 3 reversal and ‘punch line’.

Summary of MA stage

As for MA stage, my project is how might the Chinese culture, convention, and condition be applied in the Chinese low-budget comedy script? I talk about the point; the first reason is that Comedy is dependent in part upon Chinese social-culture, convention and condition (Terry). Another reason should be considered; Chinese low-budget comedy films should have Chinese style and close to Chinese people.  

The first part should be considered is Chinese convention. There is an important point that is Chinese eating. Firstly, Chinese people dislike separating. Separate payment is the stingy behavior in China, especially man and woman together goes to restaurant, must man pay the bill. This point can be applied in Chinese script, such as <flat story2>. As for Jack, he is not a rich guy, but he have to pay the bill when his girlfriend force him go to restaurant.

Secondly, Chinese put into practice Gather Dining System. Everybody can share the delicious food of all over the table when eating Chinese food. Such as <flat story2>, ridiculers Susan always can eat Nancy and Rita’s food. Susan always can be successful because the Gather Dining System.

Thirdly, In the Chinese idea, "Have a meal” is for maintaining the health of the body, but also is a kind of life enjoyment, even is the means to promote friendship between the friends. In the <flat story2>, Susan know her fault and want to have a friendship with Nancy and Rita, so she cook much tasty food and invite them.

In fact, Chinese are very complicated. So I say that Chinese don't go Dutch is not merely a kind of folkway and custom, but it is a means, a method, a repayment way, a way to express emotion, even is probably a kind of stratagem. Susan tries to provoke Nancy into disliking Rita. And she tries to Nancy stay on her side. So Susan cooks for Nancy, this is a stratagem that be made by Susan.

Another part is Chinese culture; the first part is Chinese fairy tale, which apply into Chinese low-budget comedy film because that they have a strong imagination, a wide range of subjects; a strong romantic color; distinctive character of the heroine, most extraordinary. Further more, adapting Chinese fairy tale can show the new ideas of contemporary writers and give the audience a new feeling. The second part is localism, which is a mark of regional culture. It can show the real existence state to ordinary people, meanwhile, it can achieve the effect of film realism; the localism can make comic effect.

The third part is Chinese social condition. There is an important point to Chinese condition- the big gap between rich and poor. At present, China has become one of the world's largest disparities between the rich and the poor. Thus, as for low social status people in China, they are difficult to climb the social ladder because that there education, house register or family background. This situation not only affects their living condition and also affects their mental condition. Most of these people have a sense of inferiority.  So they like calling themselves "loser". It not only illustrates recently the social condition of China and the existence state of Chinese ordinary people, but also can reflect Chinese social problem from films. 

In addition, there is a special narrative structure- Dream structure. In dreams and imagination as the main link and content, with more than two narrative lines form dialogue and conflict, from the physical space-time to psychological time-space. It can highlight the character's "psychological space", in-depth character. Further more, it is a better way to develop plots.